Flood-gate.



S. G. SMITH.

FLOOD GATE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 20, 1907.

rnE NORRIS PETERS cm, wAsr-mvumu, D. c.

YPATENTBD Nov. 5; 1907.

SAMUEL 0. SMITH, OF DAISY, LOUISIANA.

FLOOD-GATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 5, 1907.

Application filed June 20.'l907- Serial No. 379.973.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL G. SMITH, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of .Daisy, parish of Plaquemines, State ofLouisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFloodG-ates, of which the following is a full and clear specification,reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which is representeda vertical longitudinal section of a drainage canal or trough providedwith my invention.

The object of this invention is to provide a simple check valve or gatearrangement adapted to prevent flood waters from backing up through thedrain canal and at the same time permit the free outflow of any floodwaters accumulated above the drain canal, as

more fully hereinafter set forth.

Referring to the drawings by reference characters, A designates thedrainage canal or channel in which is swung at depending outwardlyopening gate F adapted to normally close. At a suitable point above thegate,

in the canal, is located a float C which is pivotally attached, by meansof a vertical post 0, to the longer arm of a lever B, this lever beingfulcrumed at b to a floating fulcrum post g and having its shorter armpivotally connected to the upper end of a depending link D, the lowerend of this link being pivotally connected to the longer arm of a leverE which is pivoted within the channel upon a transverse rod 6 and isprovided at its free end with a roller adapted to engage the outer faceof the gate.

The fulcrum post g is pivotally supported on a lever G, which lever isfulcrumed on a post H located at a point between the float O and thegate. The lower end of lever G being pivotally connected to the upperend of the post j which is carried by a float J located in the channelat a point below the gate. Suitable screens K and L prevent the floatsand valve being interfered with by foreign matters which would otherwisebe carried into contact with the floats and the gate.

It will be observed that when water passes down the arily mounted.

channel toward the gate the float G will be elevated and thus, throughthe medium of lever B, link D and lever E, raise the gate and thuspermit the water to pass outward. The waters passing out will tend tolift the float J but in view of the fact that this float is smaller thanthe float O the buoyancy of this float .T will not be sufficient toclose the gate against the action of the float O. Should, however, theflood waters back up into the channel while the waters are not flowingout through the channel, the float I will be elevated and through themedium of the connecting levers cause the gate to be held tightly in itsclosed posi- I tion and thus prevent the flood waters from passing upbeyond the gate. In some cases it will not be necessary to use the floatJ as the normal tendency of the gate itself to close may be relied uponto hold it in its closed position against flood waters backing upthrough the channel, acting in the nature of a check valve; in this casethe fulcrum post g will of course be station- Having thus fullydescribed my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is:

1. In combination with a channel, a gate swung there in and adapted toopen downwardly and normally close. a lever pivoted within the channelbelow the gate and adapted to close the same when-its lower end israised, a link attached to the lower end of this lever, a lever attachedto the upper end of this link, fulcrum means for this lever, a float inthe channel at a point above the gate and means connecting this float tothe upper end oi' the last named lever, for the purpose set forth.

2. In combination with a channel containing an outwardly opening gate, agate closing lever, a float in the channel above the gate, a float ofsmaller size in the channel below the gate, and a system of levers andconnections connecting the gate closing lever of the two floats,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses this l-ith day of June 1907.

SAMUEL C. SM ITII.

Witnesses CONRAD V. Knnns,

' .Ioi; N. AMORETTI.

